I sat at a local coffeehouse with state advocates for gifted education, wondering why intelligence isn’t more valued in our society.

“We need a hero,” someone to battle misconceptions of elitism and raise the ceiling for all learners, said Dr. Susan Scheibel, president of the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented.

Perhaps that will be Dwight Jones, the outgoing Colorado education commissioner who defended gifted education Monday at the CAGT State Conference in Denver.

“What we’ve not done well in this state is serve the kids that are in the upper echelon,” Jones told teachers, administrators and parents. “I think in our schools across the state we think that those kids will just be fine.”

Don’t believe it for a minute.

A gift not nurtured fades, as every talented athlete knows. Can we really afford to lose a generation of intellectual gifts? By 2020, there will be 124 million jobs requiring higher skills and only 50 million qualified Americans, writes Edward E. Gordon in “Winning the Global Talent Showdown.”

What’s more, India has more honors kids than America has kids, according to research by Colorado’s Karl Fisch, director of technology at Arapahoe High School.

We keep depriving our advanced learners of chances to strive for excellence, but value that drive in other arenas. In sports, we have all-star teams for gifted athletes. As a nation, we collectively cheer for Olympians. In music, we praise the first chair in the school orchestra, and push our kids to audition for the local youth symphony.

What if a child strives for academic excellence? Our society has words for that — like “geek” and “nerd.” Yet, at the same time kids are teased on playgrounds, they’re also underserved in classrooms where gifted learning is viewed as elitist.

“It isn’t about elitism. It’s about equity to every child,” says Scheibel. “Each child deserves a learning opportunity every day.”

Colorado can forge the path for advanced learning. Already a state to watch for education reform, Colorado has been active in supporting gifted education. In 2007, Colorado passed a mandate to serve all gifted learners and in 2008, a bill allowing early entrance to kindergarten.

In 2012, Denver will host the national conference for the National Association for Gifted Children. “We have the potential to lead the nation,” said Scheibel.

Jones also touted the Colorado Growth Model, which tracks students’ progress according to where they actually start the year. For gifted students who start the year already ahead, the model could ensure they receive a full year of learning — especially if it provides more specifics on gifted learners and is based on more advanced testing.

In 2010, however, progress sadly stands to be reversed. The state attorney general’s office recommended a rule change this year so local school districts would no longer have to match state funds for gifted education. The Board of Education will hold a hearing in December on the change.

“We’re going to have to raise our voices a little,” said Jones. “This state needs your insistence that we continue to serve those gifted youngsters well.”

Although Jones is leaving for a superintendent position in Nevada, the message in Colorado remains the same, he says. “What matters is that we have a department philosophy that believes that this state can do better,” he says.

With gifted education as a mandate, Colorado’s advocates for the gifted should have input on Jones’ replacement. The state’s new commissioner must continue work on education reform that includes provisions for our most advanced learners.

All the education reform in the world is meaningless, after all, if a cap is placed on how high we can go.

Perhaps Jones will keep his hero cape handy: “If I can come back and . . . support the stands we’re going to make on behalf of the gifted and talented students in this state, please know that’s a short flight away,” he promised.

Lisa Wirthman has written for USA Today, U.S. News & World Report and Investor’s Business Daily. She lives in Highlands Ranch.